Anything But Ordinary
by FandaticForeverAndAlways
Summary: Cho was the first girl Dudley was really attracted to. There was something about her that he couldn't put a finger on. He promised himself that he would pursue her and not let her go, completely unaware of her secret which could change everything he knew . . . again.
1. Falling for You

_Written for Flying Lessons – Task 1, prompt: Cerulean._

 _Written for Unusual Ships Challenge – Pairing: Dudley/Cho._

 _Boot camps: Book Quotes – Prompt25: You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Character trait – Prompt2: Independent!Dudley;_

 _Written for The If You Dare Challenge – Prompt4: Hope_

 **Thank you** Emmeebee **for beta-ing.**

Word Count: 1609

* * *

 **Anything But Ordinary**

 **Falling For You**

Ever since Dudley moved out of his parents' home, he had been trying to live as independently as he could. He had graduated college with a degree in management and desired to take over his father's company once the older man was ready to retire. He preferred to get onsite and make sure that things progressed well while his father stayed back and enjoyed his relaxed responsibilities ever since Dudley had joined. Needless to say, his parents were very proud of him. He visited them every Sunday and had breakfast and lunch with them while Vernon went on about him living off on his own and Petunia tried to set him up with yet another girl she thought would be good for him. He smiled at his father's pride and told his mother that he wasn't ready to settle down, which always disappointed her until he promised to let her have a free reign when he was ready.

Yes, life was predictable . . . but it was good.

Despite how much his parents had wanted to pamper him, Dudley continually denied them. Every Sunday evening, he walked back to his flat, which was about thirty minutes away from Privet Drive by foot. He stopped at the departmental store to buy a few necessities to last the week before heading over to his flat.

He climbed up two flights of stairs and walked over to the door marked 202. After fumbling through his keys, he unlocked the door. Just as he was about to close it behind him, the door on the opposite side of his opened, and a black haired girl walked out, dressed impeccably as usual. His eyes wide, Dudley nodded to her and shut his door.

Hidden from view, Dudley banged his head twice on the wall beside the door as he mumbled, "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

* * *

It had been a week since his new neighbor had moved in, and he had yet to introduce himself to her. The only thing he knew was that her name was Cho – he had heard her speaking to the woman on the first floor – and she was extremely pretty. Her black hair was long and shiny, and she had the cutest smile. She had a petite body, a bit athletic too; he guessed that she played or used to play a sport. If she knew that he watched her when she wasn't looking, she – or anyone, actually – would definitely think of him as some sort of pervert.

Until about a week ago, he had been telling the truth when he told his mother that he wasn't interested in anyone. But this girl, Cho, he wanted to know her. He didn't want to ruin things before they even began though. Every day, he repeated the plan in his head – get to know her and ask her out. He was sure that a beautiful woman like her already had a boyfriend. But he hadn't seen any man around, and that gave him hope.

He didn't know what it was about her that made him so nervous. He had spoken to girls before, and had even gone on a few dates back in college. He had noticed girls taking an interest in him every time he met some of his college buddies at the bar, so he knew he wasn't bad looking – he thanked god for the nurse back in school who had decided that he needed to shed his baby fat, and, when puberty hit, his wrestling classes and nature had helped him grow taller and muscular. And yet, he was terrified to ask her. Maybe it was because he had grown much less boisterous and overconfident since his family had to go into hiding for their safety. And after that, things had just changed for Dudley.

"I'll talk to her the next time I see her," he resolved, before spending the rest of his night watching mindless telly and eating what his mother had packed for him.

For the first time in months, he realized that his predictable life was actually quite boring.

Five days had passed since Dudley had decided to talk to his new neighbour. He had seen her every morning, but had simply nodded each time. He now stood in front of her flat door with a plate of apple pie in his hands. He knocked twice and waited nervously. Thirty seconds later – he counted – the door opened and Cho stood before him. "Um, yes?" She looked surprised to see him.

"Hello, I'm Dudley, your neighbour. I, er, just wanted to welcome you to the building," he said, not quite meeting her eyes, and handed her the pie.

"Oh, wow, thank you."

"No problem. I hope you like it." He wondered if she was going to invite him in. When he had practiced the interaction in his head, she had not been surprised at all and had even invited him in. He also didn't fail to realize that she hadn't introduced herself to him either. Maybe she didn't want to.

"I'll go now," he mumbled and turned back to his flat. He felt beyond embarrassed and completely stupid and also more than a little hurt.

"Um, Dudley, would you like to come in? We can eat the pie together," Cho said.

"Sure," he agreed, turning back to her with a relieved smile.

"Oh, I'm Cho, by the way." She smiled back at him politely and held out her right hand.

"Nice to meet you, Cho." His smile grew even wider as he shook her dainty hand.

He wasn't that stupid, after all.

* * *

Dudley hung out with Cho almost every evening. He began to realize how much he had missed speaking to someone around his own age, especially someone of the opposite sex. He was happier and much more jovial at work than he had been before. He began to learn more about her, and she about him. She wasn't very specific about her job, but he gathered that she worked as a counsellor or something similar. She loved chocolate, her favourite dish was homemade chicken noodle soup, she was very independent, not as close to her family as he was, and her favourite colour was blue. Most of the things she owned were in shades of blue, and cerulean blue was her favourite.

Dudley hoped that she felt the sparks that he felt. He knew there was something between them and wanted to act on it. But he was also quite nervous and scared. He wanted her to like him as a friend before he ventured into that territory. He had evasively asked her about previous boyfriends, but she had quickly dismissed him. Although he knew her, he also felt that he didn't, really. She was a very private person; every time he tried to get too specific, she would shut him off. But Dudley was okay with that. They spent a lot of time together and enjoyed one another's company. He didn't want to know her every deepest darkest secret, anyway. Not right then. That would just make him creepy.

Weeks turned into a month and half, and Dudley realized that he was falling hard for this woman. And he knew, he just knew, that she felt something for him too. He had mentioned her a few time to his parents but hadn't gone into any details that would pique Petunia's interest. He knew that his mother would then insist on meeting her. He had no doubt that, from there, his parents would unwittingly scare her off.

Dudley rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. He was acting as if he and Cho were actually dating.

"I'll ask her tonight," he said out loud, determinedly.

That evening, they spent their time watching movies in Dudley's flat. For some weird reason, Cho was absolutely fascinated by his telly. He studied her while she raptly watched _The Lion King_.

"I can't believe that you hadn't watched it before," he teased her when the movie was done.

She just smiled and playfully punched him.

"Sometimes I think you spent all your life under a rock," he continued.

"Well, now you know," Cho said, rolling her eyes.

After few seconds of laughter, Dudley licked his lips and took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Hey, Cho – are you seeing anyone?" he asked nervously. He knew the answer to that, but wanted to check anyway.

Cho looked up. Meeting his eyes, she said, "No, but you know that."

"Yeah." He nodded, feeling happy nonetheless.

"What's on your mind?" she asked softly. He wondered if she was encouraging him to continue or was actually honestly unaware of where his next words may lead. He hoped for the former.

"Um . . . Do you feel, er, anything between us?" he mumbled.

She sent him a questioning look.

"I mean other than friendship," he added hurriedly, a blush riding up his face.

"Do you?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he answered, for the first time staring into her dark eyes with an intense and confident gaze.

"Me too," she said, smiling unblushingly.

"Wow. Really?" Dudley gasped, with a beaming smile on his face.

"Yes, idiot." She laughed at his reaction.

"Wow," Dudley repeated, still smiling widely. "So, do you want to go on a date with me sometime?"

"Pick me up tomorrow at 6," she answered. Jumping up from the couch, Cho gave him a peck on his left cheek and left his flat with a cheerful 'goodnight'.

"Sleep well," he called out happily.

That night, Dudley slept with his lips curved upwards, still unable to take that stupid smile off his face.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this, please let me know your thoughts. :)**


	2. Past, Present and Future

_Written for Flying Lessons – Task 2, prompt: Bottle of Firewhiskey. Extra Prompt: "The nights were made for saying things you can't say through the day."_

 _Written for If You Dare Challenge – Prompt7: In Spite of_

 _Warning: Stated underage drinking and implied sex._

Word Count: 1958

* * *

 **Past, Present and Future**

Dudley looked at himself in the mirror for a final check. It was almost surreal that Cho had agreed to go on a date with him and he really wanted to create a good impression. To say he wasn't nervous was a lie – he hadn't been able to spend the entire day without feeling jittery!

"It's okay, calm down! She's going to love you," he said out loud, trying to build confidence.

Dudley rubbed his slightly sweaty palms on his jeans and straightened his shirt and blazer. He glanced at his wristwatch, it was five minutes to six. Exhaling dramatically, he gave up on trying to look any better and walked out of his bedroom. He wore his overcoat, picked up his wallet and keys from the bowl on the table, grabbed the bouquet of flowers he had got for her, and headed out. After locking up, he turned to face Cho's flat.

"Just be normal, she likes you that way," he muttered under his breath.

Squaring his shoulders, he knocked on her door.

"Just a moment!" he heard her call out from within. Few seconds later the door opened. Cho Chang stood before him wearing a fitted lavender dress, her black hair left open. The makeup she had on highlighted her eyes and her lips glistened – he yearned to kiss her right them. She looked absolutely stunning.

"You look beautiful," he exhaled and handed her the bouquet, which resulted in an immediate blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you," she said with a soft smile. "You clean up well too," she added cheekily.

"I try," he chuckled.

He waited for her to wear her trench coat, and lock up. After which, they walked down the stairs together, talking amicably. Dudley had ordered for a cab to take them to the restaurant he had chosen. It wasn't very far, but he didn't want to walk on their first date. Also, he hoped that she would find that act of his endearing.

"This place is wonderful," Cho said in admiration when they reached the restaurant and were led to their table.

"It is," Dudley agreed. It was a quiet little place, music playing, all wooden floors and Victorian furniture, and he had heard that the food was great too. He felt extremely happy – everything was going according to the plan.

"I was afraid that I would be underdressed or overdressed," Cho said, smiling nervously.

"You're perfect, relax," Dudley told her comfortingly.

Things flowed smoothly from there. Dudley had been afraid that since they already knew each other, it would be difficult for them to come up with conversation, but it wasn't like that at all. In fact it was quite good that they didn't have to go through the _awkward-getting-to-know-each-other_ phase. They spoke about almost everything – How they had spent their day, about the furniture, about Mrs. Castel's pets downstairs, about the book Cho was currently reading – the topics were diverse and not one moment was there an awkward pause.

When they were done with dinner, which had lived up to its greatness, they walked out of the restaurant, Dudley asked, "Do you want to get a cab back or should we just walk?"

"Let's walk, it's a beautiful night," Cho said.

"Yeah, okay," Dudley agreed. And indeed the night was beautiful. There wasn't too much wind, but it was cool as usual. It did look like it would rain, but not right then. Holding hands – Dudley marveled at how tiny her hand was in his, but also loved how it felt – they walked back to their building, feeling high on happiness.

They fell into comfortable silence when they were closer to home. Dudley wondered what was going on in Cho's mind. He didn't know what she expected of him next and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable at any moment.

Dudley's heart began pounding faster and faster as they climbed up the stairs and reached their floor.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to leave you here then," Dudley said, nerves creeping back in him.

"I had a great time with you tonight, thank you," Cho said and reached up on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I-I'm glad," Dudley stammered. Was that it?

They stood facing each other, Dudley blushing slightly while Cho looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Would you let me take you out again? As a couple, I mean," Dudley asked, feeling more hesitant than ever.

"Yeah, of course," Cho smiled widely.

"Great," Dudley nodded.

They continued to stand still, facing each other. Just then, Dudley knew what he had to do. What he had been wanting to do throughout their date. He stared into her eyes and focused on her lips. As if asking for her permission, he cupped her left cheek with his right hand and traced her jaw. Leaning down slowing, breathing heavily, he gently pressed his lips on her. Cho wrapped her arms around his neck and he placed his other hand on her waist, and deepened the kiss into heated passion.

It was more than everything he had dreamt of.

* * *

Two weeks later, Dudley was lounging on Cho's couch, waiting for her to return with their drink for the night. He had offered to get something from his stores, but she had refused, saying that she wanted him to try something new. She appeared in front of him and handed him a glass of yellowish brown liquid.

"You know, I've had my fair share of drinks. I'm pretty sure I've tried this before," Dudley commented as he took his drink from her.

"And I'm quite sure you haven't," Cho smirked and sat down next to him.

He took a measured sip, feeling confident that he would end up rolling his eyes and claim that he had in fact drank it before.

Instead he gasped and choked. It caused a burning sensation down his throat and made him feel immediately elevated which was surprising since he hadn't even finished the entire glass!

"Told you," Cho giggled, drinking next to him like a pro.

"Okay, you win," Dudley laughed, feeling a little embarrassed at his amateurish act.

"The last time I ever felt the effects immediately was when I was fourteen."

"Underage drinking, yeah? Didn't know you were a rebel Mr. Dursley," Cho said teasingly.

"Yeah, I was a lot of things back then," Dudley admitted a bit darkly, he wasn't at all proud of how he was. "Anyway, what am I drinking?" he added.

"That's Firewhiskey, and don't worry – it hasn't really gotten you drunk yet. The first sip is always exhilarating," she said.

"I wonder what really drunk feels like then," Dudley mumbled, downing the rest of his drink and not believing Cho.

The rest of the night passed in a blur, the couple were almost done with the entire bottle before they started hastily making out.

"Stay with me tonight," Cho whispered in between their wet kisses.

Dudley's reply was an even more enthusiastic kiss which resulted in him carrying Cho back to her bedroom.

* * *

The next morning, Dudley felt like the happiest man alive. He lay next to Cho, his arm wrapped around her. Surprisingly, his hangover wasn't bad as he had expected. He suspected that it had something to do with him spending the night with Cho. He felt overly bright and cheerful.

"Morning," Cho mumbled sleepily.

"Morning," he answered and nuzzled her neck, making her giggle.

"I wish I could just lay here forever," she sighed.

"Me too," Dudley told her.

They lay in bed for few seconds before Cho said, "I've to get ready for work."

"Don't. Let's take a sick day," he complained.

"I wish, but I can't miss today," Cho said apologetically and kissed his cheek. She got up from bed and put on her dress robe.

"I'll see you before I leave," she smiled and headed to her bathroom. Dudley lay in bed for few minutes but it didn't feel the same without Cho. He decided to head back to his flat and hurriedly get ready before he missed Cho.

He wanted to leave her a lovey note as well before he left her flat; so he searched her study table for a piece of paper and instead found a parchment. Finding it a bit odd but more effective he began to look for a pen, but could only find an ink pot. He searched the drawer by her desk, hoping that maybe her pen collection was inside when he gasped.

Inside the drawer lay a very familiar looking object – something which he would never forget. His heartbeat accelerating, he picked it up. It couldn't be. And so many things about Cho seemed to make sense.

It was as if he was taken back in time. The memories with his cousin seemed to fill his mind. He didn't hear the shower stop. He didn't hear the bathroom door open. He didn't even hear Cho call out his name. But he jumped when she tapped his back.

"Hey, what are you –" Cho stopped when her eyes landed on the object in his hand.

"I was looking for a pen," Dudley said, he sounded quite hollow.

"Um, that's nothing. Something my grandma made –"

"I know what it is," he cut her off again in the same dead tone. _A Wand._

"You're one of them," he whispered.

"Dudley, what are you going on about?" Cho was trying to sound indifferent, but he could see through her. There was panic in her eyes.

"I have to leave," he mumbled, dropped the wand on the desk and rushed out.

He locked himself up in his flat and sat down on the floor in a daze. He didn't know what to do. He had never met anyone like Cho and he doubted that he ever would. But he didn't know whether he could get past the fact that she had lied to him.

 _She never has actually._ He immediately shut down the thought that had jumped up.

A part of him knew that he was behaving irrationally. But he felt betrayed. And he couldn't exactly point out why. He needed some time alone to think everything through. But he didn't want to think about it. He felt horrified at how he had just walked out on her. After everything they had become, she didn't deserve that.

He was confused.

He was annoyed.

And he had absolutely no idea what to do.

He sat in silence trying to come up with a decision that felt right.

* * *

Work was monotonous and helped him calm down. When it was time to return home, he felt confident at how he would tackle things. He hoped that Cho would be ready to listen after witnessing his reaction. He was a changed man. He wasn't going to let his transition into his adulthood affect his future.

When he reached his building, Dudley directly went to Cho's and knocked thrice. He didn't want to chicken out later, moreover, he was desperate to see her. He waited nervously, hoping that she was in.

When the door opened, he found Cho looking distant. The usual sweet smile on her lips was missing. Her eyes were slightly red, and cheeks were blotchy. Had she been crying?

"I'm sorry for how I behaved in the morning. I was shocked but it was wrong of me to run. Please hear me out." As he said those words, he felt foolish and pleaded with the higher power to help him out.

She stared at him for few seconds and then her eyes softened.

With a deep sigh, she said, "The nights were made for saying things you can't say through the day."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading, do let me know what you thought of it. :)**


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